MCPS forcing Algebra 1 MCAP retake in 12th grade?
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Anonymous
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Hi all. My kid took Algebra 1 in 7th grade at a private school and transferred into MCPS afterward. They took the Algebra 1 MCAP in 9th grade and scored a 745, which is apparently not considered “college and career ready” since it’s below 750.
Now they’re in 12th grade and taking MV Calc, and the school is suddenly pushing them to retake the Algebra 1 MCAP. It feels unnecessary at best and more like the school just wants to boost its numbers. Is this normal? Are other seniors being asked to retake MCAP years later? And if my kid doesn’t sit for it again, does that actually affect graduation? Thanks. |
Anonymous
| Your child needs to pass it. Just have her take it. It’s no big deal. If she’s in calculus, then this should be cake. |
Anonymous
| I thought the requirement was just to take the MCAP, not to pass it, at least as of a couple of years ago. I would call the math dept in central office and speak to the secondary math supervisor to confirm. |
Anonymous
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See this page: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/mcap/
If you scroll down, Algebra |
Anonymous
| Sorry, posted too soon. Algebra 1 is listed as a graduation requirement |
Anonymous
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The requirement is to pass or simply take the Algebra 1 MCAP for the class of 2026.
OP, I would send this to the math department at your school and request their response in writing: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/graduation-requirements/graduationataglance_classof2026.pdf |
Anonymous
| Double check the dates as a few years ago it was just take it, not pass but for the covid years, they waived the requirement for algebra. |
Anonymous
The risk is that your kid has by now forgotten basic algebra  But more seriously, I believe schools have leeway in giving waivers. My child with special needs had a waiver for such tests during the pandemic. Granted, kind of the opposite situation, but I'm sure someone somewhere can waive the requirement...
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Anonymous
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That doesn’t make any sense. MCPS’s current seniors who took Algebra I in 7th grade took it during virtual instruction due to Covid. I think they took the Algebra I MCAP the following school year. A waiver was granted for the MCAP requirement for students who took Algebra I in 2019-2020 or 2020-2021. They merely had to take the MCAP to meet the graduation requirement; there was no requirement that they achieve a particular minimum score.
The only way your ds should retake the test is if they won’t let him graduate if he doesn’t — but if they say that, he’s being held to a different standard than other MCPS students who took Algebra I the same year he did. |
Anonymous
Actually, in rereading this, the pass language applies to the test taken before 2019-2020. Since then, you just need to take the MCAP for math, English, government, and science. You don't actually have to pass these tests. |
Anonymous
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lol in some circles, MCPS had a reputation of only caring about it's numbers. From what I saw, I believe it but thought that mentality went away a couple of superintendents ago.
I'm pretty sure the Algebra MCAP is just a having to take the test requirement for the near future. Just the fact that if your child passed the Algebra course in private school, they should have been exempt from having to take the test and that status should override any test score they have, which shouldn't matter either way. I hope MCPS schools aren't trying to boost their CCR numbers because that's the new thing now. But in this case it sounds like they are. I would confirm on where ever they list graduation requirements, that your child is marked as meeting the Algebra graduation requirements. As mentioned, they should be counted as having met it based on passing the course in private school or just based on taking the MCAP test. As long as they're marked as meeting it, I think it's up to you on how much you want to push back on the retest. Keeping in mind that I'm not up to date with what MCPS is doing and if they somehow tied this into graduation requirements, which I wouldn't think they would. |
Anonymous
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Seems fair. Your kid failed the test in 9th despite being in algebra 2, suggesting he was being pushed along but not learning adequately. and there wasn't an opportunity to retest until 12th.
https://support.mdassessments.com/resources/reporting/MCAP-Cut%20Scores.pdf Beware of hyper acceleration, parents. |
Anonymous
No... give it a rest. |
Anonymous
In theory I agree with you. Where if a student has a firm foundation in something they should be able to pass any sort of test that covers the material. In reality though curriculum teaches towards the test. That first year of the MCAP, the proficiency rate for the MCAP was like 50 percent and a lot of people across the state joked that they were going to lose their jobs due to the low numbers. I think they've since adjusted the test and also the curriculum, which is why the numbers are better than when it first came out. If the OP's student is a 12th grader now and took the test in 9th grade, that might've been around the time they rolled out the MCAP. And OP's student took Algebra in 7th grade, so took it two years previously and not sure when during the school year they took the MCAP. ie if they tested in the winter before they completed Algebra 2 and even then Algebra 2, may not have prepared them for the Algebra 1 test. |
Anonymous
It’s the exact opposite of fair to waive the requirement for some students and not others. |